Claws Of Despair
by the-shiny-girl
Summary: Ginny is left broken after Voldemort's victory. Can Snape help her put the pieces back together and will she even let him that close?   A parallel story to In The Dark.
1. Chapter 1

**CLAWS OF DESPAIR**

chapter 1 **The Beginning**

Ginny Weasley had never imagined that there was even a possibility of loosing the War. She was so naive and so young, foolishly thinking that the good side will win because that was how it was supposed to be. The thought that bad people could win never even crossed her mind. She was lost in the excitement, proud that she was a part of something so important. She actually thought that she could make a difference.

But when the War finally started, it hit her that it was not a game. Good people were dying. It was not supposed to be that way. All she could hear was screaming and explosions. She was barely able to see anything. It was dark and smoke was making matters worse.

Her hand was shaking, but that did not stop her from sending curses and spells on Death Eaters. There was a complete chaos on the Battle field. Destruction, screams, dead bodies, blood. It was everywhere. Ginny tried hard not to look to the ground, because it was covered with corpses. And it made her sick. For a split second she could swear she saw Hermione on the ground, crawling as if she was looking for something. But before she had a chance to take a better look, something hit her from behind. A strong force that pushed all air out of her lungs. Her eyes closed and her body fell to the ground. That was Ginny's last memory of the battle.

ooo

Severus Snape could see what was happening. It was not what he had expected. The Dark Side was winning. He was hiding from his fellow Death Eaters, fighting on the good side, trying to stay unnoticed. It was easy to lose yourself in a dark night, filled with screams, explosions and curses. No one was paying attention to him and most of all – no one of the Death Eaters expected him to turn against them. It was easy for Snape to send a few killing curses and end their pathetic lives. But then it all turned around. He could see that the Light was loosing the War. It was just a matter of time when it would all end.

_"No!"_

Snape turned towards the scream, recognizing Lucius' voice. Not far away he could see the-boy-who-lived, his wand pointed at the lifeless body of Draco Malfoy. Snape removed his eyes from his dead ex-student, not allowing himself to feel anything. Running towards Lucius, he stopped him, before he could go after Potter.

"Let go of me, Severus!" Lucius barked at him.

Snape did not know what to say to stop him from killing Potter. Lucius was furious and unable to see clearly. It would not be hard for Snape to simply kill him at that moment, ridding the world of another Death Eater. But out of unknown reason he simply could not do it. Perhaps it was because he and Lucius were truly friends for over twenty years, even though they had different view on the world. Perhaps it was pity. He had never seen Lucius that broken. Not even when Narcissa was killed.

Snape would not release his arm, trying to calm him down.

"Lucius! Control yourself!" he snarled at him, "You cannot harm Potter. Only the Dark Lord can-"

"I could not care _less _about The Lord's orders! Potter will beg for life when I'm finished with him!" Lucius insisted, his whole body shaking with rage.

At that very moment they both saw Voldemort approaching Harry with a malicious sneer on his face. It was as if he knew how everything was going to end. There was not even a trace of doubt on his face.

"There is nothing you can do now!" Snape said to Lucius, "It is all in the Dark Lord's hands."

Though there was still fury on his face, Lucius gave up, leaving Potter to his Master's mercy. With a look full of pure rage, he turned around and went back into the battle, sending even more curses and spells than before.

Snape knew he had to do the same. It was all in Potter's hands now. But when he sent the first curse, his whole body froze as he heard the screams. Screams of pure agony. And it was coming from Potter. Snape allowed himself to throw a glace at him and the Dark Lord. Potter was on the ground, his body twisted in a strange way, shaking. It seemed as if an invisible force was breaking his bones. Voldemort only stood there with a terrifying smile on his face.

Snape could hear Potter's screams, his begging and pleas. It was pathetic. So many people were risking their lives for the-boy-who-lived, so many lives were depending on him and that foolish boy was _begging_. Begging for mercy.

At that moment Snape knew it was all over.

"God help us all," he whispered before switching sides without hesitation and starting to send curses onto good people. He was decided to come out on top no matter who won this war. Every spy had to do his job knowing that if one side loses, he is still safe. Snape acted according to a role that was going to ensure his survival regardless of the outcome.

ooo

Everything was silent. Snape could not believe how many dead people were simply lying on the ground. Some were still moving, some without a leg, some without their arm. He hid the disgust on his face as he observed everything around him. He recognized a few corpses. But what hit him the most were his students. Children he used to teach, now barely adults. And dead. He felt sick to his stomach. Taking a deep breath, he turned to his colleagues, who were laughing and celebrating their victory. There was only one Death Eater who did not seem to be in the celebrating mood. That was Lucius Malfoy. He was standing a few feet away from him, his gaze fixed onto something in the distance. His face was hard and emotionless, but Snape noticed he was gripping his wand with such force that his knuckles were white.

Finally Voldemort spoke:"My faithful followers, the day we all have been waiting has finally come, the day we'll all take the places in society that we deserve, the day we've destroyed those who've opposed us. The day has come that we will finally rule the Wizard World and destroy those who are not worthy to live in it."

Snape looked up into the red eyes of his master, the man who would rule the world now that Harry Potter had failed.

Shouts of approval erupted from the other Death Eaters and Snape allowed himself to once again look at the damage they had done. There were a few survivors, moving between the corpses. Snape met the eyes of a young girl and he recognized her as his former student. He could see absolute despair and fear in her eyes. After a few moments he could no longer stand the intensity of her look and he had to break the eye contact. If he could only grant her death, save her from her terrible faith. The ones who lost their lives had it easy. The ones who survived would soon know what it means to be in hell.

"As the generous master that I am, I'll reward you for your loyalty, my friends."

Snape once again looked at his Master, trying to seem interested. All he wanted at that moment was to go to his Manor and rest. Forget everything that happened and what he had done.

"I'll grant my most loyal followers who have lost their family to my cause the honour to choose their rewards first. You're free to do with this scum whatever you please."

While that information caused the other Death Eaters to laugh and cheer, Snape barely raised an eyebrow. He did not want a reward. The last thing he needed was a slave in his house, someone who would always remind him of what he had done.

Snape did not move from the spot, but his eyes were fixed on Lucius. He tried to ignore the other Death Eaters as they all chose their rewards and the cries and screams of the girls. Mostly girls.

Lucius slowly made his way to a young girl, roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her up. The girl tried to fight him, but it was as if she could not stand on her own. It was when Snape's eyes landed on her face that he recognized her.

_Hermione Granger._

She was still alive. One part of the Golden Trio, the brightest witch of her age, a Muggleborn. Why would Lucius choose her?

"This is a girl you choose? With all the blood-traitors you chose a mudblood?" Vodemort asked him with disgust, "As you wish, you may do with her what you want. She is your property from now on."

Hermione struggled harder, bringing her head down to Lucius' arm and biting hard. Snape could see Lucius hiss in anger and slap her across the face, sending her to the ground. What was strange to him was the way that Granger girl was moving. She did not even try to run away, even though she did not seem to be seriously injured. There was something wrong with her eyes, she was completely confused and lost.

As Lucius once again pulled her up from the ground, she did not struggle much as they dissaparated from the Battle field. Snape tried not to think about Granger's future with Lucius. A large part of him doubted that she would make it through the night. Lucius was furious and grief-stricken, desperately in need to take his anger out on someone.

His thoughts were interrupted as the cold voice of his Master cut through him:"Severus? Is there something wrong? What is the reason that you are standing here while your colleagues are choosing their rewards?"

Snape faked gratefulness in his voice:"My Lord, I am thankful, but I do not need a reward. I am perfectly fine on my own."

"But I could not live with myself knowing that you, the person who is responsible for our victory, got nothing in reward," Voldemort spoke with a sweet voice.

Snape allowed himself a slight smile:"I assure you that I am fine. I do not expect nothing in return for my actions."

"I have to insist you choose someone, Severus," Voldemort said, "It is for your own good and it might be a use for us in the future."

_Of course_, Snape thought. There were always hidden intentions behind the Dark Lord's actions. The look in his Master's eyes left no room for arguments and Snape sighed in defeat.

"If that is what you wish, My Lord, I will choose a reward for myself."

A cruel smile spread across Voldemort's face:"Please do. And I hope you will show more taste than your friend Lucius. I do not know what possible use could a Mudblood be to him, except the obvious, of course."

With those words, Voldemort walked away from him, leaving Snape in a horrible situation.

He knew what was expected of him and there was no way to escape it. He had to choose someone to take home with him. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but he did not have a choice. He was already used to it by now. He slowly made his way to the survivors, but the moment his eyes met theirs, he could not bring himself to even make a step towards them. Some were killing him with their eyes, the others were pleading him, begging him to rescue them, still foolishly hoping he was on the side of Light. And even if that was the case, his hands were tied. He could not do a thing to help. He could not even kill them to spare them.

He then heard someone scream 'traitor' and immediately he knew it was meant for him. He tried not to react, even though it always burnt him when someone called him a traitor or a coward.

He took a deep breath and took a few more steps, looking around for someone he could take. He was hoping that if he hesitated long enough with the choice, all the other Death Eaters would already take all the survivors and there would be no one left for him to choose.

Horrible screaming started and Snape could not help but to see what was happening. He regretted that choice immediately. Obviously some Death Eaters decided they did not want to take their rewards to their home. They were having fun with them right there, on the Battle field. He quickly removed his eyes from the horrible event that was happening only a few feet away from him.

He felt sick. He needed to get out of there. With a cold expression he searched through the corpses and then his eyes landed on a young girl with red hair. He stopped and approached her, her appearance reminding him of a woman he knew and loved a long time ago.

As he kneeled down next to the girl, he shook his head in disappointment. The girl was not moving, she was obviously dead. But she did not seem to be seriously hurt. Then he noticed her face.

"Ginevra Weasley," he said to himself. Again, his former student. He could not look at her anymore, but before he could stand up, he noticed something.

Was she-?

Her chest was moving up and down lightly, barely noticeable. Snape gently touched her neck, searching for a pulse. His face paled when he realized the girl was very much alive.

What now?

In a moment he made the decision. He would take Ginevra Weasley. As he picked her up in his arms, a thought accured to him. Maybe he was a coward after all. He could not stand the accusing looks of the other survivors so he had to choose an unconsciousness girl. Someone who was unable to scream at him, to accuse him and insult him.

With Ginevra in his arms, he took one last look of the Battle field, covered with corpses, then Apparated away.

**A/N: Hi, guys. Just like I promised- a Ginny/Snape story. The chapters will get longer as I get into the story. 'In The Dark' will get finished. The last chapter should be up in the next two weeks. Through this new story you will find out a lot about Lucius and Hermione. Tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2** GIVING UP**

_Screams…explosions…corpses….curses…_

Ginny's eyes flew open and she was surprised by the silence around her. It took her a few moments to realize where she was and REMEMBER everything that happened. Panic shot through her as she did not recognize the bedroom she was in. Her eyes scanned the room slowly. Everything was decorated in green and black and somehow that caused her to feel uneasy. There was an armchair next to the bed. Books lined the walls on shelves and there was a single window.

Her eyes stopped on the doors. One were probably leading to the bathroom and the other one to…what? _Freedom_?

As she moved to get out of the bed, she slightly winced, her whole body sore. Her muscles were aching, the result of the whole night of running and sending curses. But other than that she was not hurt, at least she could not see any injury on her body. Jumping out of the bed, Ginny forced herself to calm down. It would do no good to her if she panicked, but her body was not listening to her.

_There is no reason to freak out, Ginny._

She just woke up in a room she did not recognize, without knowing how she got there and who was the owner of the house. No reason to panic, right?

Her hands shaking, she looked around the room, her eyes searching for some kind of a weapon. She could not find her wand anywhere and that was a bad sign. The person who brought her here probably did not want her to be able to defend herself. Her throat closed up with the mere thought of her last memory. Who had won the War? Where was her family? Her parents, her brothers? Were they alright? How was Harry? And Hermione...suddenly a memory came flooding back to her. She could clearly remember seeing Hermione on the Battle Field, crawling as if she was looking for something. What was she doing? What had happened to her? After that she could not remember anything else. What kind of a curse was thrown at her? Why did they simply not kill her? She did not dare to even think about the outcome of the War, so she pushed those thoughts away.

She decided to try to leave the room, but first she needed a weapon. What could she use? She moved over to the nightstand and opened the first drawer. Just pieces of paper and a pen. Nothing she could use. She opened the second drawer and there it was. Lying on top of letters, there was a letter opener. Ginny shakily took it in her hands, noticing the snake shape of it. It was disgusting and not a good sign. Who ever had the letter opener in the shape of a snape could not be an Auror. Most probaby it was a Death Ea…No, she would not think of it.

She put the letter opener in her pants pocket, then headed towards the doors, her whole body shaking with anticipation. But before her hand even touched the handle, the doors flew open and Ginny took a few steps back. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of a person who walked into the room.

_Professor Snape._

He was looking at her, his face void of emotions. For a few long moments Ginny could not form a sentence. She never imagined that she would see that traitor again. And why was he here anyway? Was she in his house? Why?

"I've been informed that you are awake, Miss Weasley," he started and took a step towards her.

When Ginny finally managed to look away from him, her eyes flew to the doors behind him. He did not close them.

"I would stop you before you could even reach them," he said to her, reading her thoughts. Ginny's eyes snapped to his, a look of fury on her face. The next second she flew to the doors, trying to run past Snape, but he caught her arm and flung her back.

"Let go of me!" she screamed at him, trying to get away from his touch.

Snape released her, but immediately flicked his wand at the door, closing and locking them.

"I never imagined you being such a dunderhead," he said to her, his voice serious, "I presume hanging out with Potter does that to a person."

"Shut up!" Ginny screamed at him, her eyes glaring furiously at him, "Why am I here? What do you want?"

"Lower your voice," he drawled in his educated voice that could make anyone he spoke to feel incredibly inferior and Ginny noticed the warning in his eyes.

Snape waited for a few moments before he spoke again. Ginny was trembling slightly, the fear, anger and anticipation mixing inside of her. She never imagined she could feel so much emotions at once.

"I suggest you sit down," he said to her, but Ginny did not move from the spot where she was standing. When Snape realized she was not going to take his advice, he simply nodded.

Taking a deep breath, he started:"The War has ended."

It was strange how such a short sentence could cause such shock. Ginny's eyes widened, but she remained silent. Deep inside of her she somehow knew what he was about to tell her, but she simply would not accept it. _Could not _accept it.

"I assume you already know who came out as a winner," Snape stated, looked deep into her eyes, trying to read her.

At that Ginny started trembling violently, tears building in her eyes, but she shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No."

Snape raised an eyebrow, "_No _what?"

"It isn't true," she said quietly, more to herself than to him.

"I assure you, Miss Weasley, that it could not be more true. The Dark Lord had won."

Ginny licked her dry lips nervously, shaking her head:"You're lying."

"What benefit would I get from lying about such a thing?" he asked calmly, "The faster you accept what has happened, the easier it will be."

Ginny decided to ignore that subject as she asked the most important thing to her:"What about my family? And Harry and Hermione?"

Snape took a deep breath and his voice softened a bit as he gave her the answer.

"Harry Potter is dead. Killed by the Dark Lord himself."

Ginny felt as if she would throw up any moment, she could no longer control the trembling as it grew into a violent shaking.

_"No…"_

"Hermione Granger survived, but was taken as a reward by Lucius Malfoy. And knowing him, she may be dead by now."

Ginny could not believe what she was hearing. How could Harry be dead? How could Hermione get captured? It was all wrong. It was not supposed to happen.

"I do not have information about the rest of your family, but if I were you I would not get my hopes up."

_Pain. Despair. Hysteria. _

Ginny let out a cry, tears spilling from her eyes, running down her cheeks. Just the thought of them being hurt or … dead was enough to break Ginny completely. Her mum, her dad, her brothers… Just a few days ago she was talking with them, laughing and now….

Her vision was completely blurred and she could hardly see a thing. A powerful wish grew inside of her. She needed to find them. Save them. Escape from wherever the hell she was.

"Am I a prisoner here?" she asked as she gathered the strength.

Snape sighed, "Look at it as you want. But you are not allowed to leave."

"I _have _to leave," she whispered, "I have to find them…help them…"

She tried to run past Snape again, but he caught her arm once again. This time Ginny struggled hard, behaving like a wild animal, hitting and biting, not caring what would happen. Her mind was blank, all she knew at that moment was that she had to escape. She would not sit in a room while her family was in danger.

"Calm yourself!" Snape raised his voice, but it did not have any effect on Ginny. It was as if she did not even hear him. She would walk through fire to save her family and not even Snape would be able to stop her. Ginny growled as she realized that there was no way of escaping from his grasp. He was strong, much stronger than she was and he was not letting go of her. She was becoming weaker with each passing moment. But then she remembered something. Without thinking, she pulled the letter opener from her pocket and brought it down to Snape's thigh with all her force. It slid inside easier than she had imagined. Snape growled in pain and pushed her away, causing her to fall onto the bed.

Ginny looked down at her hands which were now covered in blood and she felt sick and dirty. Before she even realized what was happening, Snape flicked his wand and she was bound to the bed by an invisible force. Struggling, she realized that it was pointless to try and get up. It was as if her arms and legs were tied by a rope and there was no possibility of escaping.

Her eyes shot up at Snape who was glaring at her murderously, the letter opener in his hands, blood dripping from it.

"I will deal with you later," he said to her in a low voice, but anger was evident in it. Ginny trembled violently as she watched Snape limp his way out of the room.

Only when he was gone, she allowed herself to cry openly, not being able to hold sobs inside of her anymore.

OOO

Ginny always thought of herself a strong. She had a strong personality and even though she was shy as a child, she gained her confidence as she grew up. She did not like crying, it was a sign of weakness. Besides, she thought it was pointless. There were only a few occasions in her life where she allowed herself to cry. And even then it was a silent crying, careful not to make any noise. But as she lay on the bed, not able to move, Ginny did not care about being weak. She did not care how pointless and useless it was to cry. Tears were rushing from her eyes and she did not even try to stop them. The pillow underneath her head was all soaked up with her tears, but Ginny did not plan on stopping soon. She sobbed uncontrollably, feeling as if she will suffocate from the tears.

Her _mum_. She could not imagine not seeing her ever again. Not hearing her voice and seeing her smile. And her _dad_. Ginny always thought he had the greatest heart on the world. How could he simply - ? How could someone hurt him? Take him away from her? And her brothers? They always took care of her, protected her and every now and then played a prank on her. She could not wish for a better family.

And Harry… sweet Harry. The boy who carried the burden of the whole world on his shoulders. He did not deserve to die. Ginny sobbed harder as she pictured Harry in her head. His messy hair, his glasses, his innocent smile.

And how could Hermione be taken as Malfoy's reward? What did he want with her? What was she going through with him? Hermione was smart and capable of taking care of herself. Ginny could not imagine her getting captured.

If Snape was not lying to her and everything was as he had told her, then Ginny did not have the place on this world. She simply did not want to keep living.

OOO

After a few hours she had calmed down. Or at least there were no more tears to shed. She lay there on the bed, not moving and staring up at the ceiling, her eyes blank. She was not afraid of what Snape would do to her when he returned. She would even be glad if he decided to kill her. He would do her a favour with that.

She could not resist thinking about the reason why she was at his Manor. Why was she not dead? What was Snape planning on doing with her? She did not even want to think about it. He was an evil Death Eater. And whatever the reason was for having her there, it could not be good.

She flinched as the doors suddenly opened. Snape walked in, not limping anymore and showing no sign that he was in some kind of a pain. The bastard probably healed himself. Ginny was angry at herself because she she did not stab him in a better place. A place that he could not heal. He stopped in front of the bed, looking down at her with his black eyes, but not saying anything. He was simply observing her and Ginny blushed under his gaze. Why was he looking at her like that? Why was he not saying something? As she looked up at his face, she realized that there were no emotions on his face, nothing that would help her understand.

"I see you have calmed down, " he finally said.

Ginny remained silent, waiting for him to continue. She could not fight him if she was tied to the bed. She needed him to lift the spell he had on her.

"You will have to excuse me for leaving you like this for a few more minutes," he stated, "I believe our conversation will be much more _civilized _with you restrained."

Ginny was surprised that he did not say anything about the previous incident. Was he not going to punish her for stabbing him? But then she realized that she should not jump to conclusions. If did not punish her the moment he walked into the room, it did not mean that he would not do it. Maybe he simply liked playing with her, making her hope that he will not do anything to her.

"Because you are more or less a grown up, I will tell you exactly how things are," Snape warned her, his tone dark.

When she said nothing, he continued:"After the War ended, there were celebrations. The Dark Lord had given _us_, his Death Eaters, rewards. We all got to choose one of the survivors as our possession."

Ginny grimaced at that. How could he talk about a human being as possession? And why was he explaining that to her? She did not want to know. She did not care about his Dark Lord and what he gave them. Why was he talking to her about that?

"Some survivors were taken to their owner's house and the other ones did not even leave the Battle Field."

"What do you m-" Ginny started to ask, but then stopped herself.

Somehow Snape knew what she was about to ask as he raised an eyebrow and repeated her question:"What do I mean by that?"

Ginny stared at him, listening and not knowing if she should believe him or not.

"Some of my colleagues enjoyed their reward right there, on the Battle Field, not bothering to take them to their Manor."

Ginny's eyes widened in shock and disbelief:"E-_Enjoyed_?"

Snape simply nodded, not wanting to explain that further to the girl. He could see it in her eyes that she knew what he meant and it caused even more fear to form on her face. He knew exactly what was on her mind at that moment. The horrible things that she was imagining, the scenarios that were playing in her mind, the reasons as to why he took her. He knew what she thought of him at that moment. Her frightened and disgusted eyes told him everything. But he decided not to end her fears and conclueded it was wiser to let her think those horrible things about him. It would be much easier to control her if was afraid of him.

"You are now my possessions and therefore you need to act like such," he explained coldly, "That means no talking unless I allow it, no trying to escape and most importantly no _stabbing_ me."

Ginny could feel anger rising inside of her, but her fear did not allow her to say something. How she wished she could talk back to him, to yell at him and stab him again, but she simply could not find the courage to do so. She was so tired and exhausted and _sad_. So _broken_. She did not have the strength to fight with him. Not now.

Snape sighed and sat down next to Ginny, which caused her to gasp and try to move away from him. She did not want him that close to her. His presence always scared her, even at school. And after everything he had told her, the last thing she wanted was to be that close to him. She followed his every move, expecting him to hurt her.

"I have to do something and it will not be pleasant for you," he warned her.

Ginny's blood ran cold at that sentence and she struggled even harder against the invisible rope that was holding her down.

"The pain will only last a few seconds," Snape explained, pulling out his wand.

"What are you going to do to me?" Ginny managed to ask, her eyes wide open and her voice shaking slightly.

"It is something that all the Pureblood rewards need to go through. It is a procedure that must be done."

With that he grabbed her right arm and pulled it towards him. Ginny tried to move her left arm, but it was still tied by the invisible force.

Snape pointed the tip of his wand at her wrist and muttered something. Before Ginny had a chance to wonder about that spell, a burning pain formed in her wrist. She could not help but to cry out and try to pull her arm away from Snape, but his grasp was too strong. It felt as if someone was cutting something on her wrist. Deep and painful cuts. She could not keep the cries of pain inside of her as she felt something move inside her wrist. It was as if there were _worms _inside her arm, moving and traveling up and down. She felt sick to her stomach. It came to the point when she felt the urge to chop off her arm only to stop that disgusting and painful feeling.

Closing her eyes, she tried to concentrate on something else, but it did not work. She gritted her teeth against the pain, the burning pain in her wrist. After those long moments that felt like forever, the pain began to ebb. Ginny opened her eyes and realized Snape was staring at her. He released her arm and she brought it to her chest slowly, too weak to move faster. After a few deep breaths, she allowed herself to look at her wrist, to see the damage he had done to her. Her mouth flew open in shock as she saw _it_. There were two snakes on the inside of her wrist, forming two letters.

_S.S._

Severus Snape.

Ginny's hand started shaking as she observed it. It was done the same way as a Dark Mark, only it was smaller. She was _marked _by him. Severus Snape was her _owner_. She felt so disgusted and dirty as if she was just violated in the worst way.

"Try to rest and we will talk when I return," Snape's voice cut through her thoughts like a knife and then he got up from the bed. She did not look at him. She was too shocked to even look away from her wrist. Lost in her distress, she did not notice the pity in Snape's eyes as he shot her a last glance before leaving the room.

**A/N: Another chapter! Hope you guys like it. I have an idea where to go with this story and I only hope I will not lose motivation. And don't worry, I am working on the last chapter of _In The Dark_. It will be published next week if everything goes as planned. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

Ginny groaned as she awoke from a dreamless sleep. It took her a few moments to realize where she was and everything that had happened. As the memories came back to her she cursed herself for waking up, wishing she could stay in the world of unconsciousness forever.

Her face felt as it was swollen and her eyes burned. Ginny assumed it was because she fell asleep crying. When was that? She threw a glance at the window and noticed it was dark outside. What time it was?

She made a move to get up and suddenly a burning pain shot through her wrist. And then she remembered. With disgust on her face she forced herself to look at the inside of her wrist.

_S.S._

Ginny started shaking, her blood boiling at the mere sight it. How dare he mark her? She was not his _property_. She was _nobody's_ property! The skin around the mark was all red and itching. Ginny could not even touch it, it felt as if it was burned.

Suddenly the doors opened and Ginny's eyes flew to the dark figure standing in the doorway. _Severus Snape._ After a few moments he walked into the room, closing the doors. Ginny felt her heartbeat fasten at the sight of him, but she could not bring herself to say something. All she could do was simply watch him as he stood in front of the bed, observing her quietly.

She felt uncomfortable under his stare and felt herself blushing. How could he have such an influence on her? Even when he was her Professor Ginny felt oddly intimidated by his presence. There was something in his stare in the way he carried himself. He _demanded_ respect.

"I apologize for the inconvenience," he finally spoke, "The burning feeling should pass in a day or two."

Ginny looked at him and opened her mouth to speak, but could not find words. She noticed Snape found that amusing as he raised his eyebrow and waited.

Finally as she collected her thoughts, she formed a sentence:"I will not be marked by you."

"Maybe it escaped your notice, but you already are marked by me. And the mark is impossible to erase."

Ginny looked at him with defiance in her eyes:"I will find a way."

Snape's lips curled up in a smirk, but he decided to change the subject. He took a step closer to the bed and instinctively Ginny backed away, fear shooting through her. She could be rebellious, but that did not change the fact that she was still a young girl. And even though it angered her to admit it, she _was_ afraid of Severus Snape. He could do anything to her and she would not be able to stop him. She was not able to stop him from marking her and that was nothing compared to the pain he would put her through in the future.

Snape noticed how she reacted to his closeness, so he decided to stay where he was.

Taking a deep breath, he started to speak:"Ginevra, the smartest thing you could do is to accept what has happened. You will never leave my Manor as you are my reward and are expected to act as one."

"What d-does that mean?" she tried to sound strong, but failed miserably.

"I am your Master and you will have to serve me. You will have to obey me. You will have to please me."

With each sentence Ginny felt her heart sink a bit deeper. Breathing became almost an impossible task.

"Never," she managed to whisper.

"What was that?" Snape asked.

"I said never!" she raised her voice, "I will never serve you! I would rather kill myself!"

Snape looked at her with bored expression:"That is not an option."

"What do you think-"

He cut her off:"It was not my idea that you are here, Miss Weasley. I do not enjoy having spoiled hormonal teenager in my house, as hard it is for you to believe that."

Ginny remained silent, somehow not feeling hurt by his insults.

"I am a man that enjoys silence and peace. I like being alone."

"Then why don't you let me go?" Ginny asked quietly, hoping he would have mercy on her.

"I am not allowed to," he replied with cold voice, "I would receive a punishment if I declined my Master's gift."

Ginny felt anger coming back to her as she shouted at him:"I won't stay here! I am nobody's gift!"

"Do try to keep you voice down," Snape said in a low tone, "You are not leaving and you better get used to it."

"Now," he continued, "Let me explain the rules for you."

Ginny wanted to scream at him that he was losing his time, that she would never follow his stupid rules, that she would never obey him, but for some reason she said nothing.

"This will be your room from now on. You will be expected to join me downstairs for meals, but other than that we will have no contact with each other."

That caught Ginny's attention.

"I will provide you with books so that you will not get bored. I will not disturb you and I expect the same from you. Is that understood?"

Ginny could not help but ask:"What about what you said earlier? About s-serving you and….other things?"

Snape nodded then explained:"We will have to act in front of my fellow Death Eaters. Whenever they come over for a dinner, you will have to be present. And we will have to be careful how we act in front of them. There would be consequences if the Dark Lord hears I am not enjoying my reward as I am supposed to."

"And what exactly are you supposed to do with me?" Ginny dared him to answer, but deep inside her she did not want to know the truth.

Snape decided to ignore the question as he pulled his wand out of his sleeve. Ginny's eyes flew open at the sight of it. She did not want to get punished for her disobedience. God, what would he do to her? He was Death Eater and he probably knew a lot of torturing curses.

But Snape simply waved with his wand a plater appeared on the nightstand. Ginny looked at it and saw a glass of pumpkin juice, toast and scrambled eggs. She could literally hear her stomach complain. She was so hungry. But her pride was much stronger than her hunger. Without words she looked back at Snape who somehow knew what she was thinking.

With a slight smirk he said:"Your pride will get you nowhere."

She answered him simply by glaring at him. After almost a minute Snape turned and walked out of the room, closing and locking it behind him. Ginny waited a few moments then jumped out of the bed and almost ran into the bathroom. She needed to find something to destroy her mark. She opened every cabinet, but found nothing except towels. There was nothing else! Not even a shampoo. A thought if Snape was planning to supply her with needed items crossed her mind, but she quickly pushed it away. She would not be there long enough to need a shampoo.

Frustrated, she bit her lip, almost giving up. Then something accured to her. Slowly she opened the pipe, letting hot water to run. Then she brought her wrist with the mark closer to it, stopping only for a second before moving it under the boiling hot water. She almost screamed, but bit her tongue to stop her screams. It burned. It hurt more than Ginny expected it to and she quickly pushed away from sink, falling down to the floor and sobbing. After a minute she was finally able to open her eyes and look at her injured wrist. It was still _there_. She let out a defeated cry as she realized that the mark was still there. Her skin was completely red and it burned, but the mark seemed unharmed. Ginny slowly pulled herself up and walked back to the bedroom. She was shaking badly, her skin burned and itched. But she deserved it. It was her punishment for letting herself get captured. As she sat down onto the bed, she noticed the food on the nightstand.

_No, I will not touch it._

_But maybe I can take just one bite. He won't be able to know…._

So she took a first bite. And a couple of minutes later, the plate was empty. She had eaten it all. And so she was left with food in her stomach and enormous guilt in her heart. She had accepted food from him. It was the first time he succeeded to break her pride.

**A/N: Finally a new chaapter! Hope you enjoyed it. In the next few days you can expect a new chapter of WotS!**


	4. Chapter 4

**chapter 4**

Ginny was left alone for the whole night. Even though she expected Snape to burst into the room again, there was no sign of him. And surprisingly, she was not pleased by that. She _wanted_ to see him, she wanted to yell at him, to demand he let her go.

The night went by, but Ginny did not sleep. She was preoccupied with thinking, planning, _hating_. The situation she was in was indeed horrible, but she would find a way to escape. She was sure of it. Or at least that was what she kept telling herself.

Looking down at the mark on the inside of her wrist, she could not help but grimace in disgust and rage. She was decided to find a way to get rid of it. But not now.

At the moment she had more important things to worry about. She needed to find out what happened to her family. And the only way to do that was to play a good little girl. Somehow she knew that yelling and acting crazy would not get her anywhere. Not with Severus Snape. She had to push her feelings aside and act smart.

Her family was alive and safe. She just needed to find a way to get back to them.

Soon the morning came. And there was a knock on the door.

Ginny tensed up, not saying anything.

A moment later Severus Snape entered the room.

"You knocked," Ginny commented calmly, even though there was hate in her eyes. She could not help it.

"I did," came his reply, "As I said, you are not a slave here. You deserve privacy."

Her mouth opened to fire back a snarky remark, but she stopped herself in time. She reminded herself she needed to be smart.

She could see Snape was a bit surprised by her behavior and she could not blame him. Just yesterday she was acting crazy, yelling and stabbing him with a letter opener and now she was sitting on the bed, her face calm, her tone even.

"I would like for you to join me downstairs for breakfast," he informed her.

Ginny's face turned pale and her breath caught in her throat, "Y-You said we will see each other as little as possible."

"It is only _a breakfast_, Miss Weasley," he drawled, "Besides, I thought we could talk. We did not have a chance to do so yesterday."

Slowly Ginny nodded, "Fine."

Snape looked at her, "Perhaps you should clean up a bit. New clothes will be waiting for you on the bed."

"Alright."

She hated that she had to listen to him, that she had to agree with him. It was killing her that she had to be cold on the outside when she was dying on the inside.

"The elf will be here in twenty minutes to take you downstairs," Snape said, then simply left the room.

Ginny sat there for a while, not moving.

She will have to have breakfast with Severus Snape.

And he actually thought she was alright with it? How foolish was he?

Then she forced herself to move and somehow she dragged herself in the bathroom.

Her clothes were dirty.

Mud.

Blood.

Sweat.

Ginny filled the bathtub with hot water. As she waited, she closed the doors and noticed that there was no lock on it. What if he entered the bathroom?

With those dark thoughts in her mind, she quickly took her clothes off and  
slipped in the tub, her eyes on the door.

The hot water felt so good. So relaxing.

But she did not deserve it. How could she relax when all these horrible things were happening?

With that thought in her mind she quickly cleaned herself and within five minutes she was already wrapped in a towel, walking out of the bathroom.

She approached the bed, noticing a beautiful dress waiting for her.

As she took a closer look she noticed it was a spaghetti strap white long summer dress.

Was he serious? He expected her to wear _that_?

Gritting her teeth together, she decided to play along. Snape was a Death Eater after all. She could never know what he was capable of if she annoyed him about such things.

But...why would he want her to wear that kind of a dress?

Pushing those thoughts aside, she quickly slipped the dress on, then looked down at herself. It was too revealing. Not that it would have bothered her if the circumstances were different, but she did not want to reveal anything while having breakfast with her Professor, Headmaster and a Death Eater.

Suddenly she heard a soft knock on the door and then a small elf entered.

"I is to take Miss downstairs," it said emotionless. Just like it's Master.

Ginny nodded, then followed the elf. Somehow she knew it would be useless to try and ask the elf for help.

It lead her down the stairs then through a long hallway before they stopped in front of large doors. The elf knocked softly and suddenly the doors opened, revealing a magnificent and large dining room. Well, it was not that large, but it was much bigger that what the Weasleys had.

Ginny just stood there, her eyes moving as she observed the big room in front of her.

So elegant. She never imagined Professor Snape having enough money to have such a Manor.

Her gaze fell upon the table in the middle of the room.

A table with six chair.

Snape was sitting at the end of it.

And he was looking at her.

Ginny quickly made her way towards the table, then stopped, not knowing where to sit. Then without waiting for Snape to speak, she sat on the chair furthest away from him. She quickly rearranged her dress, then looked up at him.

He was silent for a long moment and Ginny thought he did not approve of her chair selection.

"Why is your hair wet?" he suddenly asked.

That caught her unprepared, "B-Because I took a bath?"

"The elf should have dried it for you," he said, pulling his wand out from his robes and waving it at her.

Ginny tensed at first, seeing the wand pointed at her, but then relaxed as she felt her hair dry within seconds.

Snape put his wand away and then looked at her again.

Why was he looking at her like that? Did he expect her to thank him? Just the thought of it made her blood boil.

"I apologize for the dress," he spoke, "It was the only thing that would fit you. After breakfast you will talk to the elf. Make a list of things you need, including clothes, personal hygiene items and such."

Ginny almost snorted. He actually thought she would stay in his Manor?

"Sir," she started, "The fact that you chose this dress is thought provoking. It makes me wonder if your intentions are really as noble as you said yesterday."

Snape met her eyes, raising his eyebrows, "You need not worry about my intentions. If I had wanted something with you, you would not be wearing _anything_."

Ginny's face blushed and she could feel the heat in her head. How dare he talk to her like that?

"Eat," he said again.

Wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible, Ginny looked at the food in front of her.

It all smelled so good.

And she was so hungry.

As if he was reading her thoughts, he said, "Eat."

Ginny did not move immediately, but then she reached for the glass of orange juice and a large muffin.

"In the future you decide if you want to have breakfasts here with me or you can eat in your room. It is up to you," Snape explained, looking at her.

When she said nothing to that, Snape continued, "As for your education, I will see to it that you continue with your school obligations, but you cannot return to Hogwarts."

"Why not?" the words escaped her, "I'm sixteen, I have every right to education."

Her little outburst had no effect on Snape.

His face was a cold mask when he spoke, "You will be provided with books. My library is quite extensive. You will have access to better books than you did at Hogwarts."

"I don't care about that," Ginny whispered, but he heard her.

"Miss Weasley - "

"Why did you choose me?" she asked, looking up at him.

He did not answer.

"Why did you choose me?" Ginny repeated the question, "There were others. Why _me_?"

"There is no reason," he stated calmly, "I simply chose you. That is it."

"No, y-you can't just...there has to be a reason. Why?"

Snape took a deep breath, ignoring her question, "There is something I have to tell you. About your family."

Ginny's eyes widened as she waited for him to speak.

"Your brother, Ronald Weasley."

"W-What about him?" her voice was shaking.

"He died in the Battle."

What?

Ginny's hands started trembling, "W-What? How?"

"He was killed by Lucius Malfoy."

She was not hungry anymore.

"That's not true," she whispered.

"Why would I lie to you?" Snape asked, "I do not have any information about the other members of your family," then he paused for a slight moment, "Corpses are being identified. You will know in the next two days if your family is between the fallen ones."

Ginny could feel her throat close up. She wanted to cry, but couldn't. What was happening to her?

"My condolences," Snape added.

Ginny looked up and met his eyes, "Don't say that."

Her voice was filled with anger.

"Miss Weasley, we should talk about the future."

"No! Y-You can't just tell me my brother is d-dead and then just continue as if nothing happened."

He sighed, "I would give you time, but I cannot. A few of my colleagues are coming here tomorrow for dinner."

"So what?"

"You will have to be present."

"No."

His voice got a bit colder, "Yes, you _will_ be present. And you will not cause trouble if you know what is good for you."

Ginny leaned back in her chair, "Are you threatening me?"

His dark eyes were staring deep into her eyes, but no words escaped his lips.

"What are you going to do to me if I disobey?" Ginny asked.

"Are you sure you want to find out? I am a Death Eater, after all," he replied, emotionless.

Ginny crossed her arms over her chest, "I-I'm not hungry anymore."

"That matters not. We have to talk."

"Then _talk_," she snapped.

"That is exactly the attitude I do not wish to see tomorrow," he spoke, staring at her, making her feel like a little girl, "You will do exactly as I say. You will be polite."

Ginny remained silent, even though she was burning on the inside.

Snape continued, "You do as I say, and I will try to find out what happened to the rest of your family."

Her face lit up with hope.

But Snape's next words caused all hope to disappear, "Lucius Malfoy will be here as well. I do not want any scenes."

"You can't be serious."

"Does it look like I am joking?"

"He k-kiled my brother!"

"And your _boyfriend_ killed his son," Snape replied darkly, "There are loses on both sides."

"D-Draco's dead?"

Ginny felt sick. It was all too much. She did not like Draco, but he was young, they went to school together and now he was _gone_. Dead. Like so many of them.

She closed her eyes for a second, "What about...Hermione? Is she still alive? Is she still with...Malfoy?"

"She is alive," was his only answer.

"Will I see her tomorrow?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Snape looked at her, "She is not a Pureblood. She is merely a slave to Malfoy. Slaves will not be present tomorrow."

Ginny was silent for a long moment, looking at all the food in front of her.

She felt sick.

"May I be excused, _Master_?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "I am not feeling so well."

He nodded, "Follow the elf back to your room."

Ginny immediately stood up and hurried out of the dining room, not even looking back at man that was now her Master.

She could not stand to be in his presence any longer.

**A/N: I know it's been too long, but I was just busy with other stories and decided to put this one on side track for a while. Sorry. But now I've actually started to think about this story and might actually write a few more chapters. Hope you are interested, thank you for your support! :)**


End file.
